America’s Counties Experience the Benefits of Soy Biobased Products

Counties Experience Benefits of Soy Biobased ProductsAcross the nation, county governments are using a wide-range of soy biobased products as they implement far-reaching sustainabil-ity and greening initiatives. Following are examples of how coun-ties across the country are using these environmentally preferable, domestically produced products.

King County, WAFor King County, a leader in environmental purchasing for over a decade, buying environmentally preferable products is not only the right thing to do, but it is saving the county money.  In 2010, the county purchased $41 million worth of environmentally pref-erable products – including biobased -- resulting in $1 million in savings to county agencies.

Biobased Hydraulic FluidsKing County’s Equipment Shop (Fleet Division, Department of Transportation) has used biobased hydraulic fluids for more than ten years. In 2000, the county began searching for an alternative hydraulic fluid that would be less toxic in the event of a spill, since much of their work takes place along the storm drain system. Bio-based hydraulic fluids were tested and found to perform as well, or better, than petroleum fluids. While the biobased fluids sometimes are more expensive than traditional products, the county saves in the long run due to the avoided costs of spill cleanups. Further-more, during periods of higher petroleum costs, the biobased fluids are more cost-competitive.

King County currently uses a biobased tractor hydraulic oil, manufactured by Renewable Lubricants, throughout the county’s equipment fleet. The oil is biodegradable and has lower toxicity than petroleum-based oil.  According to King County’s Equipment Manager Bob Toppen, the hydraulic fluid was instituted as standard throughout the county’s fleet, and the switch was a seamless transition for employees. In 2010, the county purchased 1,815 gallons of biobased lubricants for the equipment fleet.  When purchasing new pieces of equipment, King County specifies that it be factory ready to run on biobased oils and pre-filled with biobased fluids at the time of delivery. At first, this was a challenge, but now Toppen says many manufacturers are offering options.

For more information, contact Bob Toppen, Equipment Manager, at 206.296.8159 or robert.toppen@kingcounty.gov.

Soy-Based Mastic Remover & InksKing County’s Facilities Management Division searched for alterna-tive mastic removers when a previously-used cleaner had county employees and visitors filing formal complaints due to odor. Project Technician, Denise Thompson went through the county’s regular cleaning product vendor to source green options. The county chose Sentinel 909 made by Sentinel Products, Inc. Staff report that Sentinel requires a bit more elbow grease, but it is cost-comparable and generates fewer odor complaints.  Additionally, the county’s Print Shop uses soy-based inks for all printing, except specialty and canvas printing. Soy inks are cost-competitive with traditional products and easily used by the Print Shop employees.

For more information, contact Denise Thompson, Project Techni-cian, at 206.296.0552 or denise.thompson@kingcounty.gov.

Alachua County, FLAlachua County is strongly committed to sustainability and is implementing a number of innovative solutions to environmental challenges. One such solution is the county’s use of an absorbent called Nature’s Broom, which contains soy oil and other biobased materials.

The Alachua County Environmental Protection Department (ACEPD) is charged with processing all of the county’s hazardous waste -- over 1.5 million pounds annually. An ongoing challenge when handling so many hazardous materials is preventing spills and leaks of liquids such as oil, gas, anti-freeze, etc.

According to Hazardous Waste Coordinator, Kurt Seaburg, the county turned to Nature’s Broom several years ago to help with accidental spills and cleanup. Nature’s Broom is applied to the spill and rubbed in with a broom. It absorbs the liquid, balls up and can then be easily swept up.

America’s Counties Experience the Benefits of Soy Biobased Products

Arlington County, Va used soy-backed door mats as part of their Green Games program for businesses and organizations.

Monroe County, MIThe Monroe County, Michigan Road Commission began using Orange Response, a solvent-based cleaner/degreaser made with soy and manufactured by Zep, Inc., in 2007. Purchasing Agent, Faye Loop, said they use the product to degrease about ten pieces of road equipment. The product is simply sprayed on equipment, and it releases tar and emulsion on the frames. Loop says the product “works well” and they’ve never had any reason to switch. Monroe County procures the product through Zep’s U.S. Commu-nities Contract.

For more information, contact Faye Loop, Purchasing Agent, at 734.240.5100 or floop@mcrc-mi.org.

Biobased Product Providers

Nature’s Broom (absorbant) - Boyd Eifling, 662.822.4825, www.natures-broom.com/index.html

Renewable Lubricants (hydraulic fluids), Jackie Garmier, 330.877.9982, www.renewablelube.com

Sentinel Products, Inc. (mastic remover) Kim DeShaw, 1.800.373.0633, www.senpro.com

Zep Inc. (Orange Response) - Scott Wynne, 404.603.7617, www.zep.com

Go to www.soybiobased.org for more examples of how counties are using biobased products and how to find these products.

ContactsJared Lang, NACo Green Government Program Manager, 202.942.4224 or jlang@naco.org

Melissa Narins, Consultant, United Soybean Board, 703.780.0880 or mnarins@verizon.net

America’s Counties Experience the Benefits of Soy Biobased Products

The Dorchester County, SC Fleet Maintenance Department said soy biobased products worked as well or better than traditional products after the county participated in demonstration through the United Soybean Board and NACo Green Government Initiative.

NACo-USB PartnershipThe United Soybean Board (USB) is pleased to support county uses of biobased products through the National Association of Counties Green Government Initiative.

In the spring of 2011, USB launched a unique partnership with the National Association of Counties (NACo). A demonstration project provided 17 counties from across the country with a soy biobased product package and asked them to use the products in their facilities and/or fleets over a one-month period and provide feedback on the products’ performance.

In explaining why biobased is the way to go with everything being equal – performance, cost, etc. – Ernie Knight, Director of Fleet Maintenance at Dorchester County, SC summed it up by saying, “Green breaks ties.”

“Nature’s Broom is extremely versatile, relatively inexpensive and environmentally friendly,” Seaburg said.

ACEPD uses Nature’s Broom at all of its hazardous waste collection centers and it is also a part of their “spill kit” in mobile collection and emergency response units.

  

NACoGreen Government Initiative

25 Massachusetts Avenue, NW l Suite 500 l Washington, DC 20001 l 202.393.6226 l fax 202.393.2630 l www.naco.org

About the NACo Green Government Initiative NACo’s Green Government Initiative provides comprehensive resources for local governments on all things green—including ener gy, air quality, transportation, water quality, land use, purchasing and recycling. GGI serves as a catalyst between local governments and the private sector to facilitate green government best practices, products and poli-cies that result in financial and environmental savings.

Through the initiative, NACo: • Develops strategies to save counties money while going green • Educates counties on techniques for implementing green strategies • Provides tools for counties to educate their communities on all things green • Promotes environmentally-preferable purchasing • Facilitates an open exchange with the private sector

For more information, visit www.naco.org/greencounties

About USBAmerica’s farms are just beginning to tap their potential as a source for natural, renewable biobased products that offer benefits to worker health, the environment, America’s economy and energy security. To learn more about the many biobased products made from soybeans, go to www.soybiobased.org. Because of the potential for biobased products to create new markets for soybeans, U.S. soybean farmers have invested millions of dollars to research, test and promote biobased products. Much of this work was done through the United Soybean Board (USB), which is composed of 69 U.S. soybean farmers appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to invest soybean checkoff funds. As stipulated in the Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, USDA’s Agricultural Market-ing Service has oversight responsibilities for the soybean checkoff.